Air cargo sees 1.8pc growth in 2013

Air cargo grew 1.8 per cent globally in 2013 in terms of freight tonne kilometres compared to 2012, according to IATA’s World Air Transport Statistics (WATS) for 2013, which has just been published.

This represents a reversal of the 1.1 per cent shrinkage over 2011. In total, more than 48 million tonnes of cargo went by air last year.

The top five airlines ranked by total scheduled freight tonnes carried were:

1. Federal Express (7.1 million)

2. UPS Airlines (4.1 million)

3. Emirates (2.1 million)

4. Korean Air (1.4 million)

5. Cathay Pacific Airways (1.3 million)

Tony Tyler, IATA’s director general and CEO, said: “Last year, as recorded in the WATS, the industry carried more than 3 billion passengers and nearly 48 million tonnes of cargo on nearly 100,000 flights per day, while the real price of air travel fell by 7.4 per cent. Aviation’s annual contribution exceeds even these impressive figures. Its global economic impact is estimated at $2.4 trillion and it supports 3.4 per cent of global GDP. By value, over a third of goods traded internationally are delivered by air and some 58.1 million jobs are supported by aviation.”